The Government has announced renewed Level 5 restrictions to place the country into a lockdown in the coming days until at least January 12th. So what is happening, and when?
Is Christmas cancelled?
No, new restrictions on household visits and inter-county travel will only come into effect from midnight on St Stephen’s Day.
So I can still have household visits?
People will be able to host visitors from two different households until St Stephen’s Day, after that it will be limited to visits from one other household up to New Year’s Eve. From January 1st visits to private homes or gardens will again be banned, except for essential family reasons or people in support bubbles.
Can I leave my county?
Restrictions on non-essential travel between counties had been relaxed to allow family members gather for the Christmas holidays.
The ban on inter-county travel will be reintroduced after St Stephen’s Day. However, people staying with family in another county for Christmas will not be required to return home immediately after December 26th. They will be allowed to travel between counties after this date if they are returning home.
And pubs and restaurants?
We knew the traditional Christmas Eve pub experience was never going to happen this year. The Government has moved to close restaurants, cafes, and pubs serving food from 3pm on Christmas Eve, restricting them to takeaway and delivery services only.
What else is changing?
Hairdressers, salons, cinemas, galleries, and museums are to close from Christmas Eve, while gyms and swimming pools will remain open for individual training only. Mass and religious services will move online after Christmas Day.
Non-essential retail will be allowed to remain open, but will be encouraged to avoid holding any large sales events.
Hotels are to close for all non-essential bookings after St Stephen’s Day. Travel restrictions from Britain are to be extended until December 31st.
Up to midnight on January 2nd, 25 guests can attend weddings, but this will be limited to six guests from January 3rd. Funerals are limited to 10 mourners.
Golf and outdoor tennis will still be permitted, while for team sports non-contact training can take place outdoors in pods of up to 15 people.
Professional and elite sports, as well as horse and greyhound racing, can continue behind closed doors.
So another lockdown?
Pretty much: restaurants and bars shuttered apart from takeaway services; no non-essential travel out of your county; no haircuts; and no household visits from January 1st. The main difference between this and the previous lockdown is gyms and non-essential retail shops can remain open this time.
How long will this one last?
The Government has said the measures will be reviewed on January 12th.
However, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the restrictions may have to remain in place until the end of February, when substantial numbers of people have received the vaccine.
What was the previous plan?
Originally the plan was to allow people a near three-week window where travel between counties and home visits from other households were allowed.
The restrictions on inter-county travel and household visits were eased on December 18th, and initially not due to be reimposed until January 6th.
What has Nphet said?
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan wrote to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly on Monday saying Level 5 restrictions would be needed at some point after Christmas.
In early December, modelling from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) estimated Ireland could see between 800 and 1,200 cases a day by mid-January, given increased socialising over Christmas.
Over the last week the situation began to rapidly deteriorate, with cases rising much more quickly than public health officials or politicians had expected in the run-up to Christmas.
Latest models graphing the potential spread suggest the country could now see between 1,300 and 1,800 daily cases by early January.
However, on Tuesday the Government said given current growth cases could perhaps exceed 2,000 a day as early as the start of the new year.
Any good news?
Well like cavalry on the horizon, the vaccine is on the way. Several thousand doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are to arrive in Ireland this week, with the most vulnerable first in line to receive doses next week.
